Pedestrian Struck, Killed by Dallas Police

Officer responding to call wasn't using lights, sirens

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Beverly Kirk was struck and killed when she attempted to cross the street between an ambulance and a patrol car.

Updated at 10:12 PM CDT on Monday, Jan 23, 2012

Dallas police said they are investigating the speed of a Dallas police officer who struck and killed a pedestrian Sunday morning.

Beverly Kirk, 43, stepped onto the 9900 block of Bruton Road at about 3 a.m., just after an ambulance that was responding to a disturbance call with lights and sirens on passed her.

DPD Car Hits, Kills Pedestrian

A pedestrian has died after being hit by a Dallas Police Department car responding to a disturbance call. (Published Monday, Jan 23, 2012)

Kirk walked into the path of Officer Bryan Crenshaw's marked patrol car, which struck her on the left front side of the cruiser.

Investigators said Kirk, who was pronounced dead at the scene by a Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office field agent, failed to yield the right of way to the police car.

Crenshaw, who was responding to the same call as the ambulance, was not running lights and sirens. The police department said it was in accordance with department policy for a Code 3 response.

However, after 10-year-old Cole Berardi was struck and killed by a Dallas police officer responding to a disturbance call without lights and sirens in 2008, then-Police Chief David Kunkle required officers to use lights and sirens whenever they are driving faster than the speed limit.

Investigators with the department said accident investigators are in the process of gathering data from the police car to determine the officer's speed at the time of the crash.

Investigators are also waiting for toxicology reports on the victim.

Earlier Monday, the department said they would not be making any further comments on the fatal crash until the investigation is completed, which could take several weeks. Police also said they would not comment further on issues of department policy regarding lights and sirens.

Kirk's family said they want to know if the accident could have been avoided.

"We had our ups and downs, but we loved each other; we did," said Kirk's mother, Mary Hamilton.

"It's just sad that her life had to end in tragedy like this," said her brother, Reginald Kirk.

Crenshaw, who works out of the Southeast Patrol Division, was placed on temporary administrative leave. He has been with the Dallas Police Department since 2008.